Emergency brake attachment.



C. H. TOMLINSON.

EMERGENCY BRAKE ATTACHMENT.

APYPLICATTON FILED JULY29. I918.

1,288,294., Patented Dem-17,1918.

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EMERGENCY BRAKE ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. 191B.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

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C. H. TOMLINSON.

EMERGENCY BRAKE AUACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZB. I918.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

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EMERGENCY BRAKE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29 I918.

Patented Dec. 17,1918.

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CHARLES H. TOMLINSON, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOIR TO THE TOMLINSON COUPLER' COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO,

DAKOTA.

A CORPORATION OF 'SOUTH EMERGENCY BRAKE ATTACHMENT.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed m 29. 1918. Serial No. 247,229.

To all whom it may concern. I

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. TOMLIN- son, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Emergency Brake Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for automatically applying the brakes of one or more of the cars of a train when the drawbars between two cars are rotated beyond a predetermined point, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a mecha nism for accomplishing this result, together with means for permitting the release of the brakes.

The invention consists in the novel construction, combinationand arrangement of the parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of an emergency'brake attachment for air brakes as applied to the underside of a car; Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of said mechanism; Fig. 3 illustrates a modification; Fig. 4: is a detail of the construction shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 illustrates a modification for applying an electric brake; Fig. 6 is a detail of the construction shOWn in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 shows the positions of certain of the parts when two cars split a switch.

' When a railway switch is turned between two connected cars of a train either by accident or design, causing them to move or be moved on different tracks, it is called splitting the switch, and unless the cars are stopped or disconnected serious damage 1s bound to occur either to the car couplers, or the track. The present invention overcomes this difficulty by providing means for automatically setting the brakes and stopping the cars when the car drawbar reaches a predetermined angular position. In the case of street cars it is desirable also to limit the angular movement of the drawbar so that no portion of the car structure, such as the steps which are usually located at the ends of the car, will bestruck and damaged by the drawbar.

In the construction shown by Figs. 1 and 2 a drawbar 1 is pivoted adjacent the end of a car 2 and is provided with a guide rail 8fto support it in its swinging movement. This drawbar isfor the purpose of connecting adjacent cars and must be pivoted to allow the swinging .movement of the cars when they are upon a curve.

Carried by the car, adjacent the end there of, Is an air brake pipe line 4 which is connected to the air brake mechanism, not shown, and this pipe line is provided with two valves 5 and 6'for opening the pipe line to the atmosphere and in thereby applying the brakes in a. well-known manner. These valves are preferably of the type which has an arm 7 that is parallel with the pipe when the valve is open, and at right angles to it, as shown in Fig. 1, when the valve is closed.

Attached to the arm of the valve 5 is a manually operable handle 8 which extends adjacent the side of the car where it may be grasped and operated. Attached to the arm 7 of the valve 6, which is between the valve 5 and the end of the pipe 4, is a flexible cable or chain 9 having two sections 10 each of which passes over a pulley Hand is connected to an arm 12 at one end of theguide rail 3. The arms 12 are each held normally in position by means of a bolt 13 which extends through the guide rail. That portion of the drawbar which supports it from the guide rail 3 comprises a hanger 14 which extends over the edge of the guide rail and is adapted to engage either of the arms 12 when the drawbar 1 is rotated to either end of the guide rail 3. The engagement of the hanger 14 with either arm 12 causes the holding bolt 13 to be broken or sheared oil and the arm 12 to be turned, which pulls on the chain 9 attached thereto, rotating the arm 7 of valve 6 until the valve is open. This opens the brake line and applies the brakes and prevents further movement of the car until the brake is released. The valve 5 is normally open, and in order to re lease the brake the pipe line 4: must be closed and, therefore, it is necessary only to close the valve 5 by the manual operation of the handle 8 which enables the-pressure to be built up in the brake line and the subsequent release of the brakes. The valve 6 and the operating arm 12 can be reset immediately, or they may be set at some later time.

In the form shown by Figsr3 and 4 the operating chain 9 is dispensed with, and the air brake pipe line is provided with extensions 15 which terminate adjacent the opposite endsof the guide rails 3, and at eachend is a valve 16 attached to the guide rail and having an operating arm 17 overlapping the inner edge of the rail and normally held in place by a frangible bolt 18 so that the hanger 1a of the drawbar directly engages the arm 17 and opens/the valve'16 at either, end of the guide rail. In this form a resetting valve 5 with an operating handle 8 is also provided.

Some cars may have electro-responsive brakes, and in such cases the drawbar, instead of'opera-ting a valve near the limits oi its, travel, operates, an electric switch, as shownin ,Figsvf) and 6; The brake device proper is not shown, but an electric circuitmaking device for controlling the brake is mounted near each end of the rail 3, comprising a cam 19 ivoted on therail with a frangible bolt 20 orholdingthe cam normally in position-to be engaged by the overlapping edge of the hanger 14 of the drawbarl. A bracket 21 is attached to the car body, in which a bolt 22' is slidable and pressed against the cam 19 by means of a spring '23 interposed between one, arm of the bracket and a contact bar 2%- secured to the bolt. This contact bar isadapted to connect fixed contacts 25 to which the conductors 26 are attached whenever the drawbar is swung far enough in'either direction to operate either of the camsil9, thuscausing a movement of, the electric switch to energize the electroresponsive brake.

In all of these forms it is obvious that the brakes maybe applied before the drawbar is rotatedsufiiciently to engage the steps, which in street car construction are usually located near the ends of the guide rail 3. It is to be understood, furthermore, that although reference has been made to a single car, the operation Otsplittingthe switch occurs only; between two coupled cars, and

as it is common practice in operating trams or cars. to have brake lines connected between allofthe cars, whether they be motor cars or trailers, so that the operation of the emergency device of one of the cars, whether it be for air or electric brakes, sets the brakes in all of the cars since they are connected for operation together;

In a switch s littin'goperation one of two connected cars r and B, as shown in Fig. 7,

is directed from a main track T to switch connected tracks, and the other car B remains on the main track T, so that as the cars continue they finally reach-a position such that the connected drawbars 1 would strike the steps ofoneof the cars, or any other parts that might'be in the way. The continued operation would either tear one ofthe carsloosefrom its' truck or from the track, causing much damage and inconvenience, perhaps tying up thelines until. repairs "could be made By employing the present invention an accident of this kind is avoided by interposing a devicein the path of the drawbars onboth cars so that the car brakes upon'either or both cars are set to stop the cars before any damage occurs to them. In the case ofan air brake the devices may serve to open a connection to atmosphere, as shown by Figs. 1 to at, and as shown by Figs. 5 and 6, to close an electric circuit for energizing an electroresponsive device which may be either a brake or a visual signal for the car operator) I claim e 1. The combinationwith a yalved air brake line, of a pivoted drawbar, and means dependent uponthte movement of the drawbar for operating the airbrake valve.

2. The combination with valved air brake line, of a pivoted drawbar, and means dependent upon the rotation of the drawbar for automatically operating the air brake valve to apply the brake.

8. The combinationof a car 'for train coupling and comprising'a pivoted drawbar, and an airbrake including a valved air brake line; and means dependent upon aswitch splitting rotation of the drawbar to operate the air brake valve for applying the brake.

at. The combination with'a'n air brake line including a valve therein, of a car carrying the-brake line having a pivoted drawbar, and means operatedby the rotation of the drawbar a predeteunined amount to open the said valve for applying'the brake. I

5; The combination with a ca'rfhaving alQ pivoted drawbar, and an air-brake line with an atmospheric valve, means for opening t-he valve upon a predetermined movement of the drawbar to apply-the brake, and means for closing the air brake line to reset the brakes. Y I

6. A car having a pivoted drawbar, and a valved air brake line in combination with means operated by a predetermined moveapplying the brake. 7

7. The combination with a car having a pivoted,drawbarand an air brake pipeline with a valve adjacent the endthereof, means for opening the valve "to apply the: brake ment of the dra'wbarto open the valve'or "110 upon a predetermined movement. of the drawbar, and a resetting valve in the pipe line at 'a' greater distance from the end thereof than the other valve which may be manually operated at will.

8. The combination with a car having a pivoted drawbar and a guide-rail for supporting it, an air brake pipelinecomprising valves to open the pipe line to atmosphere,

and means comprising an arm engageable by the drawbar tor'operating thesaid valve to open the pipe line toatmosphere.

9. The combination with a car having a pivoted drawbar and a guide rail for supporting it, an air brake pipe line-comprismg valves to open the pipe line to atmosphere, and means comprising an arm engageable by the drawbar, and a frangible connection for operating the said valve to open the pipe line to atmosphere.

10. The combination with a car having a pivoted drawbar and means for applying the car brakes, of a device operated by the drawbar for actuating the said means.

11. The combination with a pair of coupled cars having pivoted drawbars and means for applying the car brakes, of a device carried by one of the cars and actuated by one of the drawbars to operate said means.

12. The combination with a. car having a pivoted drawbar, a carrying rail, and a carrier for the drawbar overlapping the edges of the rail; of a brake applying device comprising a rotatable member engageable by said carrier when the drawbar is rotated a predetermined distance from its central position.

13. The combination with a car having brakes, of emergency means for applying them; said means comprising a pivoted car connecting member, and a device engaged thereby which actuates the means when said member is suiiiciently rotated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 11th day of July A. D. 1918.

CHARLES H. TOML'INSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents, Washington, D. C. 

